Girl Talk: The Mooncup – For Girls Only

If you are a man, look away now. This post is about M-E-N-S-T-R-U-A-T-I-O-N. Yes, it is about periods and what to do with them. But then again, if you are a man, you might actually learn something useful. Heck, anybody reading this will learn something new.

So, why am I, a pre-menopausal woman, talking about periods? Well, because I still get them. Yes, I am over 50 and still have a few eggs kicking around in my little ovary baskets. It happens. I don’t mind talking about it and potentially embarrassing my children. I am one of the fortunate women on this planet that never had a problem with their periods. I don’t get cramps and I am regular, or have been until recently. I am one of the few people who I know that doesn’t mind having a period. If you got your period, then it meant you weren’t pregnant. Good news when you don’t want to have a baby. Not so good news if you are trying for one.

I am too old to have a baby, but I am still kicking out eggs. The average woman will have between 400-500 periods in her lifetime depending on how old they were when they started, some from the age of 9, until they finish, up to their mid-fifties – providing they are regular and have one a month. Then there is time out taken when pregnant and breast-feeding. The menstrual cycle can last a few days or a week or more.

That is a lot of bleeding. We don’t even die from it, though some women wish they did.

In the olden days, cotton cloths were used to stem the menstrual flow. They were washed and re-used. That is called re-cycling. Women had to make their own pads. In this modern age, we have amazingly thin sanitary pads and super absorbent tampons. These are made from a variety of disposable materials, most of which are not meant to be flushed down the toilet but are anyway, or end up in our landfills, just like disposable diapers. Although women can have a more active life using disposable sanitary products, we can end up with problems in our environment and with our personal health. We either create a huge mound of disposable waste and clog up our land, or we can end up with Toxic Shock Syndromeif we do not follow instructions for using the products properly.

These sanitary products do not come cheaply at times. A woman can spend on average about £950 on sanitary products in her lifetime. It is probably more, but I worked it out on a budget option. That is a couple of really nice holidays. Think about that the next time you book a holiday.

Now think of all the women on the planet that menstruate and use sanitary products. Think of the landfill. Think of the potential health hazards. Think of the mess!

I first heard about this product from a travelling blog. There is a young couple who are travelling the world and the young lady is packing a Mooncup instead of tampons in her rucksack. I never heard of a Mooncup before, have you? When I clicked on the link to find out more about it, I wondered out loud, ‘How come I never heard of this amazing thing before?’ Why isn’t this product marketed better? How come everyone isn’t using one?

For those of you who skipped clicking on the link, the Mooncup is a medical grade silicone cup that collects your menstrual fluid. Because it is silicone, it lasts a very long time and can be washed and re-used, over and over. It is small and comes in a cotton bag. It packs small. You don’t ever have to worry about running out of tampons. If you take it with you when travelling, then you are always prepared. Click the linkand read all about it.

If there is a downside, then it could be the price as it costs about £20. But then, that would cover one year’s worth of sanitary products. When you think you might have about 30 years of menstruating ahead of you, well, I think the price pays for itself. If you can’t use tampons or won’t use them for other reasons, then this post really doesn’t apply to you, but it doesn’t mean you can’t share the information.

So, why am I, a pre-menopausal woman who still menstruates, talking about this product now? Because I just learned about it and went out and bought one before I went on holiday. It’s Sod’s law that holidays are the best times to have your period. It happened the last time I went on holiday and I got caught by surprise because I had only had one a couple of weeks prior. At my age, I never know when I am going to have a period or how long it will last. I might not get my money’s worth from what I spent on the Mooncup, but I wanted to do my bit for the environment while I still had a chance.

As predicted, I had a chance to use the Mooncup on holiday, and for the next four weeks after! Pre-menopausal, it happens. The product is very convenient and easy to use. Just follow the instructions. It is no more messy or yukky than using anything else and you don’t have to worry about running out or worrying where to dispose of it, because you can re-use it.

One really cool thing about it, you can see how much you actually bleed each month! The cup holds up to 27ml of fluid. Some people might think that is gross, but I actually like to know what my body is doing. That’s just how I am.

I tried it, I liked it. It was comfortable. If you menstruate, use it and help the environment. That’s it. 🙂

Arlene Toth 2008-20117 Arlene’s New Beginning all rights reserved. This blog may be linked to other blogs or websites. No parts of this blog may be reproduced, copied, changed or lifted without the express written permission of the author.